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Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)
A Work Breakdown Structure (WBS) is the backbone of budget control in PayInvoice Next. It organizes your project into a hierarchy of budget codes — each representing a cost category, work package, or deliverable that can receive and consume budget.
Every WBS code belongs to a Project. Within that project, codes are arranged in a tree: parent codes (groups) contain child codes, and only the lowest-level (leaf) codes are selected on transactions like Purchase Orders and Purchase Invoices.
What Would You Like to Do?
| Task | Description |
|---|---|
| Create a WBS Code | Add a new budget code to your project's WBS tree |
| Modify or Disable a WBS Code | Edit an existing code or lock it to prevent further spending |
| WBS Field Reference | Every field on the WBS form explained |
How the WBS Tree Works
Project: Highway Construction
├── 1000 - Civil Works (Group)
│ ├── 1100 - Earthwork (Leaf — can hold budget)
│ ├── 1200 - Concrete Work (Leaf)
│ └── 1300 - Steel Work (Leaf)
├── 2000 - Electrical Works (Group)
│ ├── 2100 - Cabling (Leaf)
│ └── 2200 - Transformers (Leaf)
└── 3000 - Overhead (Group)
├── 3100 - Site Office (Leaf)
└── 3200 - Travel (Leaf)- Group codes (like 1000 - Civil Works) organize the structure but cannot be selected directly on a Purchase Order.
- Leaf codes (like 1100 - Earthwork) are where budget is allocated and consumed.
- The system auto-generates a Level value (e.g., Level 1, Level 2) based on where the code sits in the tree.
WBS and Budget Flow
When you create a WBS code, it starts with zero budget. Budget is assigned through a separate process:
- Zero Budget — initial budget upload for all WBS codes in a project
- WBS Budget — detailed budget with account-level breakdown
- Supplementary Budget — increase budget for specific WBS codes
- Budget Decrease — formally reduce budget
- Budget Transfer — move budget from one WBS code to another
See Budget Entry Overview for details on uploading budgets.
Common Scenarios
| Scenario | What to Read |
|---|---|
| Setting up a new project's budget codes | Create a WBS Code |
| Need to prevent spending on a WBS code | Modify or Disable a WBS Code |
| Understanding what each WBS field does | WBS Field Reference |
| Ready to assign budget amounts | Budget Entry Overview |
Related Pages
- Budget Management Overview — The complete budget management guide
- Budget Entry Overview — Uploading budgets to WBS codes
- Budget Enforcement — How budget checks work on transactions